Air-brake-piston-leather-expanding ring



' s. e. CLAYBACK. AIR BRAKE- PISTON LEATHER EXPANDING RING.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-22, 1919- FIG. 1

UNITED STATES AIR-BRAKE-PISTON-LEATHER-EXPANDINGRING. T

Application filed October 22, 1919.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, STEPHEN G. CLAY- BACK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Gardenville, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air Brake Piston Leather Expanding Rings, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an expanding ring for the piston leather of an air brake cylinder that is simple in construction, easy and inexpensive to manufacture adapted to maintain the leather against the walls of the air brake cylinder when the device is in use.

y invention is beneficial to the public safety in perfecting the air brake equipment of railway cars and includes a ring preferably stamped from sheet metal and having a stiffening portion for attaching the ring to the piston and follower and also having freely expanding tongues constantly pressing the leather against the walls of the cylinder and avoiding all leakage when the expanding. ring is in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an expanding ring without joints adapted for preventing any kinks or unevenness in the piston leather, the device being entirely automatic after installation in maintaining the piston air-tight during operation.

WVith these general objects in view, the invention consists of the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a sheet metal blank or plate preferably formed by a stamping press,

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the expanding ring in its finished condition, and

Fig. 3 is a diametrical sectional view thereof taken upon line III-III of Fig. 2.

It being understood that my invention I broadly contemplates the provision of a ring for expanding the leather packing ring of an air brake piston, I have illustrated an annulus 10 of sheet metal in Fig. 1 of the drawing formed by a stamping press. The blank ing press is then employed for stamping Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921. Serial No. 332,516.

equally spaced radial fingers 11 in the outer periphery of the blank 10, these fingers being heated and bent upwardly at. an angle of 45 to the body portion 12 of the blank as illustrated in F igs.,2 and 3.

he inner margin of the body portion 12 is folded outwardly upon itself to provide an annular bead 13 which imparts proper stiffness to the packing expanding ring. It will be understood that the body portion 12 of my packing expanding ring herein described is adapted for seating upon the leather packing ring with the packing ring seated upon the annular seat of the piston, a plurality of nuts or stud bolts being employed for securing the follower upon the piston seat over the expanding ring.

PATENT omen;

The complete operation of the invention will be fully understood from this detail description thereof, the fingers 11 being resilient constantly bear against the leather packing ring maintaining the leather in flat resilient contact against the inner wall of the air brake cylinder, thereby avoiding kinks or wrinkles in the leather and rendering the piston leak-tight. The fingers 11 are free to expand during the operation of the piston and the leather packing ring is maintained air-tight in the cylinder although the piston may be slightly out of true or wabble during the reciprooations of the piston. The scallops or excisions 14 between the fingers 11 extend inwardly toward the axial center of the expanding ring substantially to the outer periphery of the clenched over stiffen ing head 13, the bends 15 of said fingers 11 being intermediate the ends of the fingers and closer to the head 13 than to the extremities of the fingers. This affords greater elasticity in holding the piston leather in air-tight position for use.

ile the form of the invention herein set forth is believed to be the preferable embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that minor changes my be made therein without departing from invention.

What I claim as new is A ring for expanding the piston leathers of an air brake cylinder formed from an annular sheet metal blank, the inner margin of said blank bent outwardly upon itself forming a stiffening portion having fiat engaging faces for attaching the ring to the the spirit and scope of the receiving seat of a piston, the outer periph ery of the blank being scalloped forming V spaced radial fingers bent upwardly in a fingers adapted for resilient bearing upon the piston leather to maintain the latter at all times against leakage and against the wall of the cylinder during the operation of 10 the piston. V

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

" STEPHEN o. QLAY GKQ 

